TWEENS15 Monsters Under The Bed
by A Rhea King
Summary: Navta wants Archer to help her imaginary friend.


Chapter 15 : Monsters Under the Bed  
By A. Rhea King

Archer walked out of the shuttle pod with a ghost of a smile. He was glad to be back home and with his crew. The week on the Rien's planet Daktha Prime had been interesting and a little fun, but he liked it better among his friends and adopted family. The shuttle bay door opened and Trip was waiting for him.

"Welcome back, Cap'n," Trip said with a lazy smile.

"How have things been up here, Trip?" Archer asked.

The two turned and started toward the lift.

"Quiet and boring," Trip replied.

"Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Not really."

"Not really?" Archer looked sidelong at Trip.

Trip's smile broadened, a poor attempt to hide his nervousness. "We were hit with a solar flare yesterday. Lost primary power for a bit but everything came back on and no systems were fried. Everything's normal."

"That's good," Archer looked directly at Trip. "But how, _exactly_, did you get hit by a solar flare a hundred and fifty million kilometers from the sun, Trip?"

Trip's cheeks flushed.

"Trip?"

"We, ah, we took Enterprise for a little joy ride to make sure the fixes on the warp engine were working. Just a short one. To the sun and back. We got hit when we were near the sun."

"I told you to stay in orbit." Archer couldn't hide his smile. "I cannot trust you with my ship, can I?"

"We had to make sure all repairs were functional and all the minor damage was repaired." Trip quickly changed the subject. "Where's T'Pol?"

"Back on the shuttle. She had to finish reports." The two men stopped at a turbolift. "Anything el—"

"K'PAN!"

"Navta's been asking when you'd get back, Cap'n," Trip laughed, "and we could have set a clock by the time intervals she kept asked."

Archer turned, watching Navta run up to him. Archer crouched down and she fell into his open arms, viciously hugging him. "I missed you, K'pan."

"Missed you too, half-pint," Archer said in a warm voice.

Navta laughed, taking his hand when he stood up. The lift opened and the three stepped onto it.

"How's Porthos?" Archer asked Navta.

"He's good, but he doesn't like the monsters. He started barking. He quit when I put him in bed with me."

"Navta, I told you not to do that."

"But he was barking and Ensign Paris wanted him to stop. He stopped when he was in bed with me."

Archer laughed. "You know better, Navta."

Navta grinned.

"And how well did you take care of my ship?" Archer asked her.

"Well! Very, very well! I even gave orders when Trip was on the bridge. We fired torpedoes and fought off the enemy!"

Archer looked at Trip.

"We were playing," Trip explained.

"Not with real torpedoes I hope."

"No, sir. They were…_not_…real…torpedoes."

"Do I dare ask what they were?"

"A batch of biscuits gone wrong."

Archer laughed. "And this is what I come back to!"

"No ammunition was used in our fight against the evil and deadly dust particles."

Archer laughed, looking down at Navta. "So did the evil and deadly dust particles loose the battle?"

"Of course! I was in command of the greatest ship in the universe!"

"Is that so?" Archer laughed.

"Yes," Navta grew serious suddenly, "but I can't get the monsters to go away."

Trip and Archer both looked down at her.

"What monster?" Archer asked, losing his humor at the sight of her face.

Navta looked up at him, shaking her head a little to get her bangs out of her eyes. "They came aboard during the solar flare when the lights went out."

Archer smiled, opening his mouth to speak. The lift door opened onto the bridge, stopping him.

"We'll talk about this later, Navta, okay?"

Navta nodded.

Archer and Trip both left the lift. Navta watched the men disappear as the door closed.

"This is going to be hard," Navta told herself. She reached out and pushed the lift button to go back down to deck C.

#

"K'fan whaf if dif?" Navta asked.

Archer looked up from his meal. "Navta, don't talk with food in your mouth."

Navta bopped her head as she finished chewing her bite of chicken. She swallowed, looking at Archer. "What is this?"

"Chicken something," Archer said.

Navta giggled, getting a smile from both Archer and Trip, but T'Pol remained solemn. It was hard to tell what she thought about Archer inviting Navta to eat with them.

"K'pan?" Navta asked as she stabbed a couple beans on her plate.

"Yeah?"

"One of the monsters learned how to talk English. He asked me to ask you to help him get back where he came from so he can go home later."

Archer looked at Navta. "Navta, monsters have to get home on their own."

"But he said he can't. He needs your help. He needs to go back to where he came from so he can see wife and daughter again."

"This monster said that?"

"Yes." Navta looked up at Archer, eating the beans on her fork.

"So the monsters are now your friends?"

"Yeth. Onlthy de ounth—"

"Navta, not with food in your mouth," Archer reminded her.

Navta swallowed the food in her mouth. "Only the one that can speak English."

"What do these monsters look like?" T'Pol asked.

Archer and Trip both looked at her, surprised she was showing any interest in the conversation.

"I dunno. I can't see them. I can only hear them."

"And how many of the monsters are there aboard Enterprise?"

"Uhm…" Navta closed her eyes tight, thinking. "There are five. Two women and three men."

"And when did they come aboard Enterprise?"

"During the solar flare."

"When was the last time you visited Doctor Phlox, Navta?"

"I don't remember. I fell off this ladder playing chase with Eartik and hurt my arm." Navta pointed to the spot, showing it to Archer. "Right there and Doctor Phlox made it all better."

"Doctor Phlox is good at that. Why don't we go see him tomorrow, Navta?" Archer suggested.

"Why? I'm not hurt and not sick."

"You don't want to see Doctor Phlox?"

"I like talking to him. He smiles and I laugh because it's funny." Navta giggled, falling back in her chair. "I wish I could smile like he does."

"Doc does have a contagious smile," Trip commented.

"Hey! Guess what I did?" Navta asked Trip.

"Huh?"

"I showed Eartik how to blow bubbles!"

"That's great."

Navta grew serious suddenly, looking to her right like she was looking at someone. She looked at Archer.

"He really would like you to help him, K'pan. Since you helped us could you help him?"

Archer watched Navta while he finished chewing his bite of food.

"One of the monsters is in here right now?" Archer asked.

"Uh-huh." Navta nodded.

"Really? I wish I could see or hear her."

"Him. It's a boy, I mean a man," Navta quickly corrected.

"Oh. Does he have a name?"

"Not yet. He's trying to figure out to say it in English."

"Can he say it in Varlikon?"

"No. He doesn't know how to speak Varlikon. Only his language and now English."

"He learns fast."

"He had lots of time to learn English."

"Oh. Well, tell him you need to stop talking and finish your supper."

"Hear that?" Navta looked up. She giggled, letting her head fall back. Navta looked at Archer. "He said okay. Beautiful women need to eat too."

Archer smiled. "He's right. Eat your cauliflower."

Navta wrinkled her nose, glaring at the cauliflower. Archer leaned toward her and she looked up at him. The two smiled at each other. Navta stabbed a cauliflower floweret with her fork and ate it without a word. Archer looked up, finding T'Pol staring at him. Archer offered her a smile as he turned to Trip and started talking about the day's events with him.

#

Doctor Phlox looked away from the screen to the nine-year-old Jit sitting on the biobed beside him. Doctor Phlox leaned on the table, watching her make her teddy bear dance.

"And how's Mr. Jiggles?"

"He's fine." Navta held her teddy bear up to Doctor Phlox. "Did you check him too?"

Doctor Phlox turned and picked up a tricorder. He waved it up and down the teddy bear.

"Just as I suspected," Doctor Phlox looked at Navta, "Mr. Jiggles is a healthy, happy teddy bear. Must get that from his mother."

Navta grinned. "Smile Doctor Phlox."

Doctor Phlox's face turned into a large smile and Navta giggled. Doctor Phlox stood up, laying his hand on her knee.

"How have you been feeling lately, Navta?"

"Fine."

"No aching head or anything else?"

"No." Navta shook her head.

"Did you feel sick after the solar flare hit Enterprise?"

"No. Well…" Navta looked down at Mr. Jiggles.

"Well what?"

Navta looked up at Doctor Phlox with a shamed expression. "I threw up."

"You did? When?"

"When Travis made the ship turn real fast when the solar flare hit. The turn made me sick and I threw up."

Doctor Phlox leaned close to her. "It made me sick too, Navta."

Across the room Archer and Sista watched the two from across the infirmary.

"I not think anything wrong with Navta," Sista said.

"I have to be sure," Archer said.

Sista smiled, looking at him.

"What?" Archer asked.

"I just remember when first found us and how you not want her around."

Archer shrugged. "She grew on me."

Sista gently bumped Archer's arm with her elbow.

Archer smiled. "She's a sweet child, Vardee, and she has grown on me."

Sista laughed, watching Doctor Phlox approach them.

"Navta is in perfect health, Captain. Aside from getting sick when Ensign Mayweather turns the ship too fast, there isn't anything wrong with her. You know, it's not that uncommon for children to develop imaginary friends."

Archer looked at Navta. "Barney."

"What?"

"My imaginary friend's name was Barney. I blamed him for missing cookies and spilling paint in the garage." Archer smiled.

Doctor Phlox laughed.

"The monster wants to know if you'll help him yet, K'pan?" Navta asked from across the room.

"The monster without a name?" Archer asked.

"Yeah."

"You should invite him to supper tonight. Tell him we're having your favorite."

"Spaghetti!?" Navta asked.

"Yes."

"Did you hear that? Spaghetti!" Navta told her monster.

Archer looked back at Doctor Phlox.

"I wouldn't recommend discouraging her monster interaction, Captains. It's a good channel for her creativity and allows her to communicate more open—Captain Archer?"

Archer had looked at Navta when Doctor Phlox started talking. Navta quickly went from happy to tears. Archer walked over to Navta. She immediately threw her arms around his neck as she broke into sobs.

"What's wrong, Navta?"

"He said I wasn't trying hard and that I wasn't keeping my promise. But I AM trying hard. No one will believe me, K'pan. Not even you!"

Archer hugged her close, telling her, "You just ignore him. He doesn't know what he's talking about, half-pint."

Navta continued bawling. Archer looked at Doctor Phlox.

"My imaginary friend never hurt my feelings," Archer informed Doctor Phlox.

"Nor did mine," Doctor Phlox replied.

#

Archer looked up when he heard the warp engines wind down and the ship came to a halt. Archer rose, walking out of his ready room onto the bridge. The view screen showed a ship he'd never seen before.

"What happened?" Archer asked.

"They dropped out of warp right in front of us," T'Pol informed him as she rose from the captain's chair, "We almost hit them."

"Their weapons are charged and shields are up, sir," Malcolm informed Archer.

Archer stepped behind Travis.

"Polarize shielding and stand by, Malcolm. Hail them, Hoshi."

"They've already contacted us," Hoshi said and a message started playing over the bridge COM. "I'm trying to translate it right now."

Archer waited, watching the ship.

"I think…" Hoshi frowned. "I think this is it." The message began to be interpreted a few words at a time until it played back in English.

"Deliver them to us and we will leave you unharmed. Resist and we will fire upon you."

Archer looked at Hoshi and then T'Pol.

"They may be associated with the Varlikon, sir," Malcolm said.

"Have you met anyone associated with the Varlikon that didn't just try to kill us first and ask questions later?" Archer asked Malcolm.

Malcolm shrugged. "Different tactic, sir?"

"A little sugar, huh?" Archer smiled. "Hoshi, get Sista up here then open the channel."

"I'm not getting visual, Captain. Only audio," Hoshi said before she turned to call for Sista.

"This is Captain Jonathan Archer. We're confused about your message. Who is it you are expecting us to hand over?"

Archer waited and when he didn't get a reply, he looked at Hoshi.

"The channel is open. They haven't replied," Hoshi said.

Archer looked back when the lift door open. Sista walked up to him, but her eyes were on the view screen.

"Do you recognize that ship?"

"Not…really." Sista shook her head.

"You know…we've had this conversation once before and you didn't exactly give up information, Vardee."

"That long time ago. You not my children's godfather then," Sista said, looking at Archer, "I see ship before, but only on sensor in passing. They never stopped or communicate even when we hail them."

"They're demanding we give them someone."

"I'm getting a visual," Hoshi said.

The view screen showed the Enterprise bridge, minus a replicate Sista. The Archer on that bridge stepped toward the view screen.

"We will attack you if you do not hand them over," he said, even sounding like Archer.

Archer lifted his chin. The scene was a little unsettling.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about."

"Senosip. Hand them over. They are escaped prisoners and are to be returned to confinement."

"Is she Senosip?" Archer pointed to Sista.

"No. She cannot be replicated, but she is not Senosip."

Archer walked around the helm. "I'm sorry but I don't know who or what you're talking about. Who are the Senosip?"

"They are aboard your vessel. I am growing impatient. You will return them or we will fire upon you."

"I don't take to threats," Archer informed his mirror self.

"Harboring processed criminals carries a penalty of death. We will give you time to reconsider and then return to retrieve them or destroy you and your ship."

"They're firing weapons," Malcolm said.

"Return fire, Malcolm."

Archer turned, grabbing the top of the helm controls before the first blast hit _Enterprise_. Another three followed and then the alien ship jumped to warp.

"Damage report," Archer said.

"They've knocked out the port plasma cell. I'm waiting for a report from engineering."

"Cap'n," Trip said over the COM system.

"Go ahead."

"Whoever we just made friends with us knocked out the warp and impulse drives. They knew exactly where they were firing."

"How long to repair it?"

"A day on impulse, three for warp."

Archer looked at the screen. The aliens kept their promise about giving Archer time to think about their request. Now if he could just figure out what a Senosip was.

#

T'Pol slowly looked around, finding Navta standing on the other side of her station. Navta had her teddy bear clutched to her chest while she waited patiently for T'Pol to acknowledge her.

"May I assist you?" T'Pol asked, rolling her chair to the railing so she could see Navta better.

"Do you have friends?" Navta asked.

The question made everyone on the bridge look at T'Pol.

"I have people I associate with if that is what you mean."

"No. I mean do you have people you would help if they needed help because you like them?"

"I would assist any crewmember aboard this ship."

"That's not what I mean…but I guess it'll have to do. If you had a friend that had a problem, a really, really big problem, what would you do?"

"What kind of problem does your friend have?"

"He's trying to get back where he came from so he can go home later, but he doesn't know how to do that. He hasn't got a ship and no one will help him."

"Who is your friend?"

"Tartka."

"Are you referring to the friend only you can hear?" T'Pol asked.

"Uh-huh." Navta nodded.

"I suggest you ask your friend to stay aboard with us. He might find life aboard Enterprise can be interesting."

"But he has family and he wants to go home. He doesn't want to stay on Enterprise. He won't leave me alone until I help him."

"I bet if you started playing with another friend he'd go away," Hoshi suggested.

T'Pol and Navta looked at her.

"Really?" Navta asked.

"It is worth an attempt," T'Pol answered.

"Okay. I'll try that. Thank you T'Pol and Hoshi!" Navta ran to the door by Malcolm's station and disappeared.

"Thank you," T'Pol said, looking at Hoshi.

Hoshi smiled, stating before she turned back to her work, "What are friends for?"

T'Pol thought about the comment a moment before returning to work.

#

"How are things coming?" Doctor Phlox asked as he stepped into the decon room.

"Well, I've had better luck," Trip replied. He slapped the controls of the decon room. "I hate this room."

"DOCTOR PHLOX!"

The two men looked up, watching Navta run up to Doctor Phlox and fall onto him, clutching Doctor Phlox's clothes in tight fists. Doctor Phlox crouched down, taking Navta's arms.

"Navta, what happened?" Doctor Phlox asked, tenderly checking to see if there was any broken bone under the bruise on Navta's left cheek.

"One of the monsters tried to grab me when I was running away from her and I fell against a handle. Doctor Phlox, Tartka's really scared."

"Who is Tartka?"

"My invisible friend. He said that the other four are planning on stealing the Diedra as soon as they can get past her neuro…neuro…I don't know what it was called. But he said they're going to steal the Diedra and then go try to kill the guards. He doesn't want them to do that because he wants to go home to his wife and daughter."

Doctor Phlox sighed. "You're imaginary friend said that?"

"Yes."

"That's a pretty scary story to make up, Navta."

"It's NOT a story and I'm NOT making it up, Doctor Phlox. That's what he said. Why won't you believe me?" Navta started crying.

The ship rocked suddenly.

"Archer to Trip!" Archer called on the companel above Trip.

Trip stepped around the door and pressed the companel button. "Yeah?"

"Get to engineering. We have company again."

"Doc, I'll ge—" Trip stopped. "What the _hell_ is that?"

Doctor Phlox looked up at him. Trip was staring inside the decon room.

"Tartka! I can see you!" Navta cried.

The ship rocked again. Doctor Phlox fell against the door, looking inside the room. Under the infrared light he could see a ghostly form. It looked like it was made out of smoke with tendrils occasionally extending from it. There were two bright blue glowing spots on its upper torso that looked like eyes.

Trip pressed the companel. "Cap'n… Tell that ship to hold fire. You may be able to turn over the things they're lookin' for."

"What?"

The ship rocked again.

"Tell 'em to stop firing, Cap'n. I think we found one of those Senosip. It's down here in decon."

"Acknowledged."

#

Archer and T'Pol slowed to a stop behind Trip and Doctor Phlox. Doctor Phlox had his hands on Navta's shoulders to keep her from going into the decon room. Archer stepped around them and into the room.

"Who are you?" Archer asked.

"You can't hear him, K'pan," Navta said.

"Why not?" Archer looked at Navta.

"He talks on a higher level than you can hear, K'pan."

Archer looked back at Navta. "And how is it you can hear him?"

Navta shrugged Doctor Phlox's hands off her shoulders and stepped in the room.

"I have snake in me, remember? I'm always hearing things you can't."

Archer smiled. "I forget sometimes."

Navta walked up to Archer's side, sidling up to him when he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Ask him where he came from, Navta."

"He can hear you, K'pan, you just can't hear him."

"What did he say?"

"He was a prisoner being transported. They were passing Enterprise when the solar flare hit and the ship was damaged." Navta looked at Tartka. "He says they can survive for short period in outer space and they managed to get to Enterprise. But the others killed the guards that came with them and now they're planning on stealing the Diedra as soon as they can get past the neuro…neuro…oh, the neuro sensors."

"Neuro sensors?" Archer looked at Trip. Trip shrugged. Archer looked back at Tartka. "Is this your invisible friend, Navta?"

"Yes."

"He's the one you've been talking to?"

"Yes. He learned how to speak English so he could talk to me. He says he used to be a…you what?" Navta asked Tartka. "He was a professor at a college…or at least that's what it translates to. He said that he was framed for a murder because he was working on this meta… meta… metaparticle…" Navta paused, "reclamation weapon and he wasn't going to sell it to someone," Navta looked up at Archer, "I have no idea what he's talking about, K'pan."

"That's all right. Who was this someone?"

"He said that's not important. They were bad guys."

"You were framed?" Archer asked Tartka

"Yes. They killed two people that were working with him and set him up."

"I don't know that you're telling the truth. And these other…aliens, want the Senosip, or rather you and the other prisoners."

"He says he's a Senosip and so are the aliens attacking us, but they're from the prison. He said you should tell them to come on board and extract the prisoners because you can't see them and they're very dangerous."

"I can't see you unless I'm in here," Archer told Tartka, "and that makes me feel uncomfortable. And the guards just fired on us. I'm not letting them on my ship."

Navta listened to Tartka. She looked up at K'pan. "He's right."

"Right about what?"

"The other four are dangerous. They always scare me. And they will figure out how to get past the neuro sensors and take the Diedra." Navta frowned. "He said the guards have orders to extract the prisoners or kill them and anyone working with or protecting them. So they're just following orders. He's really begging, K'pan. He wants to go back and finish his sentence so he can go home to his wife and daughter."

Archer shook his head. "No."

Navta looked at Tartka.

"What's he saying?"

"Nothing. He's sad. He doesn't know what to do."

Archer didn't either. He wanted to hand the prisoners over to the attacking ship, but he didn't want any more of them on his ship since they couldn't see them.

"Why don't you just fly over to the ship? Or whatever it is you do?" Trip asked Tartka.

Navta translated, "Because the others won't go and he's not leaving them for us to deal with. They could do something that would kill everyone on board and as long as he's here, he's doing everything he can to prevent that."

"Tartka, there has to be something we can do," Archer said. "I'm sorry I can't trust you, but there has to be something."

"Do the Rien know of your existence?" T'Pol asked Tartka.

Navta nodded. "They do."

"Can they see you and would they know the ship off bow is a guard ship?"

"Yes," Navta answered. "They can and they would. He says he knows what you're saying but you'll have to find a way to communicate with the ship in secret so the other four won't know that you're returning to Daktha Prime to extract them."

"How do you know they aren't here?" Archer asked.

Navta gave Archer a ridiculous look. "They're the same species, K'pan. He can see his own kind and they aren't here."

"I'll talk to Hoshi and we'll head back to Daktha Prime and meet with the Rien. In the mean time, I want you to stay here, Tartka. If you want to prove you're trustworthy, you won't leave."

"He agrees to stay here as long as the others don't start causing problems," Navta says. "He cautions you to be very, very careful because you cannot see them."

"I will be. Thank you." Archer took Navta's hand and turned toward the door.

"No. I'm staying," Navta said, pulling her hand away.

"It's not safe for you to stay here with him, Navta," Archer said. He crouched down, laying his hands on her shoulders. "Come with me to the bridge, Navta."

"But he's my friend, K'pan. I'm not going to leave him here. What if the others come and hurt him and he needs help? I'm the only one that can hear him."

"Navta, you can't—" Archer stopped when Navta looked back at Tartka.

"But you're my friend!" Navta protested to Tartka, "I want to stay."

Tartka moved to Navta and part of a tendril covered her shoulders and Archer's hands. Archer pulled his hands back from the coolness of Tartka's touch.

Navta looked down, nodding a little. "Okay. I'll go," Navta said finally.

"What did he say?" Archer asked.

"He said you're right, that I shouldn't stay with him because the others might hurt me. He said I should listen to you 'cause you care about me and you know what's best for me right now."

Archer smiled, holding his hand out for hers as he stood up, "Come up to the bridge with me, Navta. You can stay until we get to Daktha Prime."

Navta slid her hand into his, looking back up at Tartka. She waved, letting Archer lead her out of decon and Sickbay.

#

Archer watched ten Rien guards walking down the hall. In between them five collar like devices seemed to hover in the air.

"TARTKA!" Navta yelled.

Archer, Malcolm and T'Pol turned, watching her run toward them.

"No, Navta," Archer said, catching her before she ran past him.

"TARTKA!" Navta yelled, starting to cry as she strained to get away from Archer.

Archer held her back. Her pained expression was heart wrenching.

The Riens turned into the docking hall.

"I want to say good-bye, K'pan," Navta begged, "Please. Please."

"He has to go."

"But I want to say good-bye."

"You can't, half pint. He's a prisoner and you can't tell him good-bye. The guards won't let you."

Navta fell into Archer's arms, breaking down into sobs. Archer closed his eyes, holding her.

"Captain Archer."

Archer looked up, finding a Rien guard standing there.

"Yes?"

"The prisoner Tartka asked that I tell the child he heard her and wishes her good-bye as well." The Rien turned and headed toward the ship's hatch at the end of the hall.

Archer looked at Navta. He pushed her back, laying his hands on her neck. "Did you hear that?"

Navta nodded.

"You got to say good-bye. He heard you."

Navta started crying again, holding onto Archer.

#

Archer looked over his cards.

"Got any nines?" Archer asked.

"Uh-uh. Go fish," Navta said.

Archer picked a card up from the pile between them. Archer looked up when the doorbell beeped.

"Come in," Archer said.

Trip stepped in. Porthos jumped up and ran to greet him. Trip walked over to the two and sat down.

"Hi. Hi," Trip laughed, pushing Porthos back. "How are you?"

Porthos turned and lay back down beside Navta.

"Will you look at that mutt? Talk about a traitor," Archer joked.

"Are you a traitor?" Trip asked, reaching out and scratching Porthos' ear. "What are ya playing?"

"Go fish."

"Any fives?" Navta asked.

Archer handed her the five in his hand.

"I WON!" Navta put her cards down for Archer to see.

"Someday I'm going to beat her too," Archer laughed.

"Deal me in," Trip said.

Navta gathered the cards and dealt out five cards each.

"Got word from your friend Tartka, Navta," Trip said.

"Really?" Navta looked up at him.

"Yep. He was pardoned. You know what that means?"

"Huh-uh."

"Means he gets to go home to his wife and daughter. He called to tell you and Cap'n thank you for helping him. He sent you a song."

"Really?" Navta smiled.

"You mind?" Trip asked Archer.

"Go ahead."

Trip got up and walked to the computer. He pulled up the audio file and started it and then returned to his seat. Navta cocked her head to the side, smiling. To the men it was silence.

"What does it sound like?" Archer asked.

"Like the ocean," Navta smiled at Archer. "No words., only music."

"Someday maybe I'll get to hear it."

Navta grinned. "Someday you will. I'll make sure of it."

"Any twos?" Archer asked.

"Nope," Trip said.

"Uh-uh," Navta said. "Go fish!"

Archer drew a card.


End file.
